Back and leg pain are frequent cause of temporary and permanent disability of a vast number of people. It has been determined that inflammation of the nerve causes the pain rather than simple compression. Therapy aimed at reducing this inflammation consists of just a simple period of bed rest, possibly supplemented by anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and steriods. For a majority of people, this suffices and allows recovery from the acute episode of pain.
However, there is a remaining group of persons, up to 20 percent, who do not get lasting relief, or continue to get worse for a prolonged time of months after the onset of the pain, despite adequate trial bed rest, or immediately upon resuming simple daily activities or their work routine.
Simple bed rest with pelvic traction is used to enforce bed rest but realistically could never hope to actually achieve a significant distractive pull on the lumbar spine which would require 200 to 300 pounds of couterweight to be accomplished. This amount of weight is impossible to achieve or withstand.
By the use of gravity as counterweight and angularly elevating the patient, it has been found that a distraction of the lumbar spine in a controlled, graduated and progressive way, using the force of gravity could be accomplished with relief of back and leg pain (a situation equivalent to traction with weight).
The basic principle of Gravity Lumbar Traction is the progressive tilting of the patient's body with harness support being directed to the low chest area. Under the physician's supervision, the patient controls the progress of the tilt from 30 to 65 degrees, or up to 90 degrees if necessary. This can be continued on an intermittant basis, independently by the patient. The weight of the legs and pelvis in turn pulls on the lumbar spine. This is approximately 60 percent of the patient's body weight added to the pull of gravity.
Each patient determines his own individual angle of comfort and relief. As soon as this is constant, the patient is changed from a circularly operated electric bed to the wall traction board of the present invention. This allows in-hospital training in the home routine for the patient to follow on his or her own gravity traction board.
Therefore, one of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a gravity traction device which may be used during a period of hospital confinement, in hosptial out-patient programs, in physician's office out-patient programs and later at home as needed when prescribed by a physician.
A further object of the invention is to provide a gravity traction device, including a traction board which is adjustably angled relative to the floor to support the patient in a manner so as to provide the necessary degree of traction.
Another object of the invention is to provide a harness to support the patient under the lower chest area and including suspension straps connecting to a belt portion of the harness for engagement over a spreader bar adjustably carried at the top of the traction board.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a bracket for attachment to a wall and providing adjustable support means for engagement by hook means at the top of the board to provide a range of angular relationships between the board and a support surface such as a floor.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a bracket for hooked engagement over the top of a door to provide for the angular adjustments.